A Real Queen
by sierra.steinbrecher
Summary: Atem must find a bride before his eighteenth birthday in two months or be forced into marrying the Lady Tea, and he has had no luck. But when his younger brother's sweetheart brings a new girl into the palace, will he find some hope? Fem!Yugi. Don't own.
1. Into the Palace

"Don't you dare!"

"But I don't want to cause any trouble for him," Yugi protested through her tears. "Besides, it's better this way. She's a noble and-"

"I don't care if she's the pharaoh's own daughter! You love him! You love him and he loves you. Ramla's station doesn't matter."

"But I'm not-"

"Don't you dare say you're not worthy! You are better than that noble girl will ever be! Or have you forgotten who your parents are? Your lineage outranks hers, not to mention everything else about you! Just the fact that you left because you didn't want to hurt him makes you a thousand times better! Just that!" Aziza stopped glowering at her younger sister and took the girl's hands in hers. "I know you're frightened. And I know you don't want to cause a fuss." She lifted Yugi's chin until she was staring into her sister's bright, red-rimmed eyes. "But can you live knowing you forced him to marry someone he doesn't love by running away? Do you want that for him?" Yugi shook her head. "Then pack up. You're going back to the palace."

Yugi wiped the last of the tears from her face and she gripped her sister's wrist. "Come with me?"

Aziza reached out and hugged her sister. "If you want me to. Let's go get ready."

* * *

Yami slipped around a corner and breathed out. Ramla had been following him all morning, trying to corner him about their upcoming engagement for hours. He breathed out. This had been so much more fun when Yugi had tried to hide along with him. "Yugi, where are you?" His sweet lady had vanished over a week ago, leaving him, Atem, and their father Pharaoh Ahknamkanen somewhat forlorn. He had hoped…but there was no time to think on such things. Footsteps were coming!

Yami started to bolt down the hallway, but a deep voice behind him said, "No need to run." He turned around.

It was his elder brother Atem."Oh. It's just you," he breathed out. "I thought it was-"

"Yes, well, I took care of her." Yami gave the crown prince a disbelieving look. "I mean I showed her the new collection of oils in the bathing chambers." His brother snorted. "What?"

"Well," the younger glanced at the pyramid pendant resting against the other's chest.

Atem rolled his eyes. "Shadow games are for criminals. The only thing she's done is chase after you, hardly a capital offence."

Yami leaned back until his back rested against the wall. "Perhaps it should be. I haven't had a moment of peace since Yugi vanished. She seems to think that I'm free for the taking now."

Atem chuckled. "I will have the servants take her for a ride on the Nile tomorrow. Perhaps then you can relax. Or even go look for your lady love."

Yami's scowled at his brother's teasing before the expression died on his face and his head clunked against the wall. "I would, if I had any idea of where to start. But thank you for the boat idea. That might work." Then the younger prince slipped off into one of the more remote gardens.

Atem followed his brother's retreating form with a sigh. "At least you had a love, brother." He walked off in the opposite direction looking for Ramla to tell her of tomorrow's plans.

* * *

Pharaoh Ahknamkanen had a predicament. That predicament was on the piece of paper in front of him. It read, "Unless Crown Prince Atem has found a wife of noble blood by his eighteenth birthday, he will wed the First Princess of the House of Life, Tea, daughter of Tiana. So let it be written, so let it be done." He had hoped his son would find a way out of the predicament using the loophole his father had written into the agreement for him. But Atem's eighteenth birthday was a scant two months away and no suitable candidate had appeared.

A queen was not an easy thing to find. She needed to be a capable ruler for whenever the Pharaoh was needed elsewhere, as in times of war or if he was ill. She must be desirable, to instill in the people that the royal line was perfect. Of course, it wasn't, but appearances were important. The question of standing was important too. No commoner could marry the Crown Prince. The rules were a bit looser for younger royal children, the reason why he'd had high hopes for his son Yami and that lovely girl Yugi, but Atem's bride had to measure up.

If he looked at it objectively, Tea was a good choice. Beautiful and from good stock, she would look very nice on his son's arm. They could teach her to rule, and give her advisors to help. But as a father, he couldn't help wishing.

The girl was painfully shallow. Not as much as Ramla, one of his younger son's chasers, but still not as deep of conviction and feeling as Ahknamkanen's own wife had been. His queen had been all that the kingdom needed, and what he'd needed as well. After all, even pharaohs are human, as much as the public believed they were divine. Sometimes you needed someone who dispensed with titles and ceremony and simply played senet or went for a ride with you. He had a feeling neither Ramla or Tea would be that for his sons. He wished Yugi would come home. Then one of his sons would live happily, at least.

* * *

"Maybe this was a bad idea," Yugi stuttered out from in front of the servants' entrances into the palace. "Maybe we should go back."

"Are you a woman or a water beetle?" chided Aziza. "You will go in there-"she pointed at the door "and you will win him back before I push you through the gates. I am not letting you hang around the house and mope over him."

Yugi grumbled. "I wasn't moping."

"You hardly ate anything in the week you were home," barbed her older sister. "You were moping. But it ends here. Now go through that gate!" Yugi smiled beneath her star-shaped hair and put her hand on the door handle. She opened it and let her and her sister into the palace. Within five steps, they were caught by a guard who dragged them to the doors leading to the throne room.

While the guard sent servants in to get permission to enter with the two girls, Aziza got a good look at the throne room. Spacious, with a high ceiling and rows of columns for support, the whole room was lit with sunlight drifting in from the numerous skylights. The walls and rows of columns on either side of the room were covered in beautiful hieroglyphics. Each of the four walls seemed to have a theme of sorts. The wall to the right of the door depicted the previous pharaohs, each having their designated plot of wall space. Most of it was intricate writing, too small for her to see so far away. She wondered if their wives and children were mentioned at all.

The wall to the left of the door was far more obvious, a depiction of the gods in their various forms. She especially loved the pictures of Ra, as a phoenix, dragon, human man, and of course as the sun. And Isis was rarely far away from the fiery deity, joining him in the sky as a sparrow when he was a phoenix or dragon, standing tall as a sycamore tree when he lit the mural as a sphere, and of course standing with him as a beautiful woman the only place he looked human. Hathor was there too.

The wall behind the pharaoh's throne was too far away to see clearly, but she thought it was a depiction of the gods crowning the first king of Egypt. What a fitting placement, being the connecting wall between the gallery of the past kings and the portraits of the gods. Whoever designed this place had good taste.

Then the guards pushed them through the door and onto the floor of the beautiful room, right in front of the Pharaoh's throne. "Well," Aziza commented from her place beside her sister on the floor, "that's one way to get their attention."

 **Yay! A new story! I don't know how often I'll be updating this since all my muses have abandoned me, but maybe all your splendid reviews will help me get my writing skills back.**


	2. Traitor Uncovered

"Yugi!" Yami shouted and started towards her, but Atem grabbed his shoulders and nodded towards Jumoke, Joey for short, the guard who'd brought them in. Yami's eyebrows scrunched together. Joey knew Yugi. What was he doing embarrassing her like this?

Joey spoke up addressing the pharaoh. "I found these two at the south servant's entrance my lord. I believe one of them is the servant Yugi, who disappeared last week." He looked at the girl. She'd been a friend on his, one of his best friends, and he hadn't been happy with her when he'd looked everywhere in the palace and hadn't found her. She had better have a good reason for her disappearance.

The pharaoh leaned forward in his throne. "Tell me Yugi, why did you leave the royal service without notice?"

"She was threatened, my lord." For the first time, the royals noticed the other girl beside Yugi on the floor.

"Stand up. What is your name?" The Pharaoh asked. He'd never seen this girl before.

"My name is Aziza, My Pharaoh. I am Yugi's older sister."

Hm. Aziza, meaning precious. The Pharaoh commanded, "Explain your earlier remark."

"Yes, My Lord." The girl bowed and said, "Over a week ago, one of the noblemen threatened to hurt Prince Yami if Yugi did not leave the palace within a day. She left and therefore kept the prince from harm. But I do not believe they should be kept apart by such schemes."

The Pharaoh smiled inside. He liked this girl's attitude. But a threat to royalty was a serious matter. "Who was it who issued the threat?" he asked.

"My Lord, it was-" A commotion erupted in the crowd of watching nobles and an arrow struck Aziza in the leg.

Joey ran in the direction of the arrow's path and dragged a hooded and cloaked man out of the crowd. "Your Majesty," he said, "I believe this man was trying to silence the girl."

"Remove his hood at once," commanded the pharaoh. Joey flipped the hood off the man and several in the crowd gasped.

One of the other nobles shouted, "It's Lord Nizsm!" Yami scowled. Ramla's father. He should have known.

The pharaoh stood from his throne. "Jumoke, take Lord Nizsm to the prison cells. We will hold his trial by Millenium item tomorrow. We will see just how deeply the evil behind this plot has grown within him. Isis! Tend to Lady Aziza here as best you can. You may take her to the healing chambers after this matter is resolved."

"Yes, my king," the priestess and healer responded. She ran out onto the open floor and helped Yugi sit the wounded girl down before a servant brought forth a roll of bandages. Atem inspected the girl as the court paused to allow for the treatment of her injury. She wore no makeup and her short white dress was rather plain. Her hair held only two colors, a dark, almost black brown shot through with gold highlights, rather like his lightning bolt streaks. But hers laid flat on her back and shoulders, instead of sticking up in the star shape of her sister that his younger brother so adored. Her eyes, the same brilliant purple as her sister's, watched Isis wrap the bandage around her leg.

One of the servants brought a cushion to elevate the girl's leg to ease the wound and make the girl more comfortable. Once she was settled, the pharaoh resumed his seat and asked, "Was the noble who just left the one who threatened your sister?"

"Yes, My Lord," she answered.

"Very well," he concluded. "Thank you for bringing Yugi back to the palace. Isis, you may take her to the healing chambers now, see that she is well treated. If that is all…" He looked over at Shimon as servants carried the girl out on a stretcher.

The old advisor nodded. "We have finished our business."

"Then we shall adjourn for the day. Come Atem, Yami, Yugi." The royals left the room, followed by Yugi.

She caught up quickly and stuttered out, "I really should go check on my sister, she's-"

"Relax Yugi." Ahknamkanen smiled at the girl. "We're going to see her now."

As they walked towards the healing chambers, Yami slipped his arm around Yugi's shoulders. "I am glad you came back," he whispered into her ear. "I missed you."

Her face went bright red, but she kissed him on the cheek. "I missed you too. Aziza said I wouldn't stop moping."

Yami laughed at that. "Then I suppose I have her to thank for saving me from both my loneliness and Ramla's attempts to court me."

The girl made a face. "How bad was it?"

"Awful." He flinched at the memory. "She wouldn't leave me alone for even a moment! I had to hide in the gardens most of the time."

Yugi giggled at the image of Yami hiding up in a tree while Ramla ran around looking for him right underneath his dangling feet. Then she sobered. "What will happen to her?"

Atem answered the question. "She will be questioned, and if she had knowledge of her father's plot, she will be judged by the millennium items and that will determine her punishment." He looked at Yugi. _I should prepare her for the worst,_ he thought. "The nobles might also demand that your sister be judged, to prove that her testimony is worthy. She will face a similar fate, depending on the outcome of the judgment."

Yugi breathed in sharply. What if Aziza failed the test? Yami pulled her tight against his side. "Don't worry. If your sister is anything like you, her spirit will be as pure as the water of the Nile." He smiled at his little love and she tried to return it, although it came out more like a grimace than a grin. They continued their walk towards the healing chambers.

They turned the corner into the hallway that led off to the rooms where Isis and Aziza would be, and laughter filled their ears. Ahknamkanen chuckled. "I do believe that's Isis. Shall we go see what has so amused her?" Atem and the two lovebirds grinned, the laughter infecting their bad moods. They walked into the healing chambers and saw Isis doubled over one of the beds in a most undignified manner, laughing enough to make the whole room echo with the sound.

"And that's why you should never leave dates on your front porch," Aziza finished.

Isis wiped her eyes and looked up. "I do believe that's the funniest thing I've ever heard. Did Yugi really do that?"

"Yes," grinned Aziza. "But I'm sure it's nothing compared to the stories of what the princes were like when they were little."

"That won't be necessary," said Atem from the doorway. If Isis started talking about the time he tried to grab a crocodile's tail, he'd never hear the end of it.

The pharaoh walked over to where the older of the two sisters was resting. "How is your wound?"

"It's fine, thank you for asking, my Lord." She smiled up at him. Atem noticed how her eyes crinkled when she smiled. "To what do I owe this honor?"

"Your sister wanted to see you, and since Yami was not going to leave her side, I decided to accompany them." The man gestured for Yugi and the princes to draw closer. "I don't believe I've introduced you to my sons. This is Yami, who you probably already know."

Aziza nodded. "Yugi has told me much about you."

"And this is Atem, my oldest." He pushed his son forward to they were close enough to shake hands.

She eyed he crown prince for a moment before respectfully replying, "It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness." She shook the offered hand, shook it, and looked back at the pharaoh. "I hope you don't mind my asking, but what happens now?"

The pharaoh smiled. "Now, you rest. You will be judged in a few days, to make sure your testimony concerning the threat is valid. If you pass the judgment, we will deal with Lord Nizsm accordingly. What happens after that is up for debate."

She smiled. "Then I suppose I'd better heal quickly. Thank you for coming to visit me." She glanced over at her sister. "Would you mind if I talked alone with Prince Yami for a moment?"

Ahknamkanen glanced around the room. Joey was at the door, probably with another guard on the other side. Even if he and Atem left the room, Yami would still be protected. He smiled and said, "of course." The Pharaoh and his older son left the room taking Yugi with them.

Aziza looked at Yami. "May I speak candidly, Your Highness?"

"Of course," answered Yami with a smile.

The smile vanished as Aziza pinned him beneath her gaze. "Ijust watched my sister nearly drown in grief from the idea that you couldn't be together for the past week. That is the only reason I dragged her back here and got an arrow wound for my trouble. If you send her running from the palace again, Ra help me, you will be the one to bring her back, and that's if I decide you deserve a second chance. But first you need to answer a question." She stared him down. "What are your intentions for my sister?"

He gulped. "Not to hurt her. You have to believe me, I had no idea what was going on."

She let a small smile onto her face. "I believe you about that. But still, what do you intend for her? I will not allow you to keep her as a mistress-"

"I would never do that!" he roared, towering to his feet.

She smiled at his vehement rebuttal. "Good. Then you intend to marry her, should the laws allow it?"

"Yes, of course. I just need to find the proper loophole." She smiled. This would work out very well indeed.

She stretched. "Very well, you may continue to court my sister. If you hurt her…"

"I won't."

"Good. You can return to your family now." He walked out of the healing rooms.

Atem looked at his brother. "What did she say?"

"Nothing," answered Yami as he practically bounced over to Yugi.

"Nothing." He raised his eyebrow at his brother. "Right."

 **I just found out yesterday that starting Monday, I have a job, so daily updates may not be possible. That said, the amount of people taking an interest in this makes me want to write more! Please continue to read and please drop a review to tell me what you did or didn't like.**


	3. In the Healing Chambers

Aziza fell back against the bed and released the breath she'd been holding after Yami left. Isis gave her a questioning look. "I've never had to threaten anyone before," Aziza explained.

"Why did you?" asked Isis.

The girl didn't even move. "I had to fulfill my duties as a big sister."

The healer's eyes narrowed, but a smile tugged at the edges of her mouth. "Should I be worried?" she asked.

"Only if that prince hurts Yugi. Then, definitely."

Isis sat down next to the girl. "You know, Atem did the same thing to Yugi when he first found out they were together."

"Really?" Aziza propped herself up on her elbows.

Isis pushed her down. "Lie still. Yes, he cornered her and made her swear never to hurt him." Isis closed her eyes. "That first day after Yugi left was terrible."

A hand grabbed hers. "Would you mind telling me what happened?" Aziza asked.

"Alright. It started with…"

Line Break

"Yugi!" Isis's eyes snapped open. Prince Yami yelled again, "Yugi!" She leapt out of bed and threw on her healer's robe. What was wrong? Had something happened to Yugi or the prince?

She stepped out into the hallway and Yami barreled into her. "My prince, what are you-"

"Have you seen Yugi?" He looked up at her.

"No, my prince." She grabbed his shoulder as he started to run away. "I'll send out some servants to look for her, but you need to sit down before you hurt yourself. Come inside." She sat the prince down on one of the cots and sent an apprentice healer for some food and another servant to start the search for the prince's, no, the whole palace's sweetheart. And she was missing? No wonder Yami was so frantic.

She looked over at the prince again. He was still in his night clothes. His hair was a mess, blond streaks messy and intermingling with the rest of his hair, star shape squashed on one side. He must have gotten up and looked for Yugi to help him with his clothing. Isis handed him a glass of water and the liquid sloshed up the sides of the cup. He was trembling! "What have I done, Isis? Why would she leave? I drove her away, I know it!"

She took the cup from his hands and wrapped the prince in a hug. "You did no such thing, my prince. We don't even know if she's actually missing yet. We haven't looked everywhere. Give it some time." She smiled as Yami's trembling eased. Hopefully the little lady turned up soon.

Yami was still with her a few minutes later when Atem came into the room. "Have you seen…oh," he stopped as he saw his younger brother eating a small breakfast and he waited for news with Isis. "Good, you're here Yami."

"Any news," the prince asked.

Atem shook his head. "All of the palace and most of the gardens have been searched. They're looking in the servant and slave quarters now." Atem leaned forward and his hair shadowed his eyes. "If she doesn't have a very good reason for this-"

"Stop, brother." Yami put a hand on Atem's knee, making the older boy look up at him. "She will. There's not a drop of malice in Yugi." He smiled at his brother. "We'll find her."

"Yes, we will." Atem rose and helped his brother up. "But we are princes, and court begins in less than an hour. You need to get ready." Yami left for his chambers and Atem turned back towards Isis. "Can you try to find her?"

"Yami already asked. I know that she is safe, but frightened." She gripped the necklace. "It's confusing."

"Visions usually are," Atem conceded. "Could you tell what she was frightened of?"

"I don't know. I feel like I'm being blocked whenever I try."

"By darkness? But who would even have the powers to do that to a Millenium item?" Atem began to pace.

"It's not darkness that blocks my sight." Atem stopped pacing and looked straight at her. "The vision is too bright, like trying to see a tree that Ra has hidden behind. Rest assured, if she really is missing, I will try again."

"Please do." Atem went to the door. "If you find out where she's hiding tell me. I will go and drag her back myself. Yami should not have to suffer like this."

Line break

"By the end of the day, we knew Yugi had gone, and my visions were no clearer," Isis finished. "I still don't know why I couldn't see." She picked at the piece of jewelry around her neck. "Perhaps the item is losing its power. That would be grave indeed."

Aziza chuckled. "Oh don't worry, it's working fine."

Isis frowned at her. "Why do you say such a thing? Are you knowledgeable about the Shadow magic?"

Aziza was looking down, biting her lip. "Well, you know how the light blocked your visions?" Isis nodded. "I might have had something to do with that."

Isis's frown deepened. "What do you-"

But she was cut off when Atem entered the room. His royal purple cape was missing, although he still wore a crown, albeit a smaller one. "My father wishes Lady Aziza to- Oh I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?"

"No, not at all!" Aziza leapt up off the cot and fell back onto it. "Ow. Sorry, I suppose I forgot about my wound." She smiled and laughed at herself.

Atem grinned. "Perhaps I should escort you to your chamber?"

Aziza quirked an eyebrow at him. "Well aren't you just a gentleman? Alright, you may escort me to the throne room, or wherever your father wants to talk to me."

The prince bowed deeply. "As you wish, My Lady." He slung one of her arms across his shoulders, put his other hand on her waist to steady her and helped her limp towards the doorway. Isis watched them go, slightly surprised. Had Atem and Aziza just…flirted with each other?

The prince helped Aziza walk to one of the guest rooms. "Um," Aziza said just outside the doorway.

"Yes?" Atem asked.

"I thought we were going to see the pharaoh. What are we doing here?"

Atem laughed. "Well dinner with the royal family is a bit more elegant than a court hearing. You might need to change." She looked down at herself. She was still dirty with the dust from the road they took to get back here, and her pain white tunic certainly wasn't suitable for dinner with the royal family. He gestured inside the room and said, "Yugi has something for you inside, she can help you get dressed."

"Thank you." She glanced at the hand still placed on her side. "I can take it from here." The hand remained. "You can let go now."

Atem snapped his hand back like it had been burned. "I'm sorry, I-"

"No, it's fine." She flashed a smile at him. "I'll see you at dinner, Your Highness." She slipped inside the room.

Atem stood there for a moment, staring at his hand. He shook himself and walked back down the hall towards his own rooms.

Inside the room, Aziza leaned against the doorway. _What was that?_

 **Thank you for all the marvelous comments! I'm writing several chapters ahead of what I post, so the first person to review will be able to ask me one question about what will happen in the rest of the story. Thank you again!**


	4. Dinner with Princes

Yugi bounced up to her big sister. "Come on, we've got to…are you alright?"

Aziza took her hand away from her side and smiled at the spiky-haired girl. "I'm fine. What were you saying?" She looked past her little sister to the bed. A simple sheath dress, a small collar of gold, and woven sandals rested on the blanket. "Well, this isn't too bad," she said, picking up the collar.

"Um, that's for me," piped up Yugi. "Your stuff is over there." She pointed to the other side of the bed. A beautiful sheath dress with blue embroidery around the edges rested on top of a sheer robe. A wide and beautiful gold necklace set with pieces of lapis lazuli laid next to a belt of the same materials and a bracelet set of plain gold. Her sandals were woven like Yugi's but a small piece of the same gems from the necklace rested in the center of each strap. A web of three delicate golden chains spread out from a teardrop of Lapis Lazuli, meant to drape over her hair. She felt like a desert mouse just looking at it.

Aziza groaned. "I really have to wear all that?" She looked down at Yugi, only to come face to face with the expression of a begging puppy. "Oh, alright!" She held out her hands. "Do your worst." The puppy got its wish. _I swear,_ the older sister thought as Yugi dragged her into the bathing room. _I will never forgive Hathor for giving Yugi those eyes. They get me every time._

Yugi made her get undressed and sit down on the floor. Then she also stripped and grabbed a jar of water from the assortment of jars on one side of the sunny room. "We pour these over each other and then scrub." She poured the water over her sister's hair and scooped a small amount of the cleaning ointment they used in the palace out of a small jar and into her hands.

Aziza grabbed her sister's hands before they could descend on her back and hair. "Ah ah. You first." Aziza whipped out a jar and splashed her sister in the face before dumping the whole thing over her head. Then she grabbed some cream from the jar and started rubbing her sister on the ribs, making her squirm and giggle at the tickling movements.

"Stop! I can do it myself!"Yugi shrieked. Aziza let up and the younger girl grabbed the jar back from her sister, muttering about how she wasn't a little kid anymore. The other girl just laughed and started washing her own hair with the cream.

They dunked each other again and dried off with some smooth linen towels. They did each other's kohl and eye shadow, combed and braided their hair, well, Aziza's hair. Yugi's had never submitted to anything short of three hours of hard work, so Aziza gave up trying to tame it for all but the most formal occasions. A guard knocked on the wall outside the room and Yugi yelled, "We'll be just a minute," as she fastened Aziza's collar while the girl held her hair out of the way. She helped her older sister get up from the bed and walk to the door without putting too much weight on her injured leg.

Outside in the hallway, Joey and another guard waited with a small two-man litter. "The Crown Prince insists we help you to the dining room, Lady Aziza."

"How thoughtful of him," commented Yugi, looking from the litter to her sister. "You should get in."

"I really couldn't-"

"He insisted," said the other guard, the one whose name she didn't know. "Besides, we don't mind." He smiled at the young lady.

"Alright." Yugi helped her over one of the poles and she settled into the chair. "Yugi could you-"

"I'll be walking right behind you," the younger girl answered. "Hi Duke." The other guard, now christened Duke, winked at her.

The three royals were already waiting in the dining room when they heard a litter being set down on the floor in the hallway outside the room. Yami looked at his brother speculatively. "You sent her a litter?"

Atem stuck his brother with a glare. "She injured her leg. We should not make her walk, it might increase the damage."

"Of course." But Ahknamkanen saw the small smile on his younger son's lips. Then the girls walked in, Aziza being supported by Duke.

The black-haired guard pulled out chairs for Yugi and Aziza, settling the injured girl in hers gently. Then he returned to his post at the edge of the room with Joey. He whispered to the boy beside him, "What do you think is going through his head?" He motioned toward Yami.

Joey crossed his arms and hunched over. "Hmm, I was actually thinking about the other one."

"Atem?"

"Yeah." Joey pointed with his thumb. "Just look at that guy. He hasn't stopped staring since she came in."

"Can you blame him? I mean look at her."

Joey looked back at the elder of the two sisters. "I know what you mean."

Aziza fiddled with the gold cuff on her arm as she looked at the king. "Is this alright? We're not nobles or anything."

The pharaoh chuckled. "Even if a member of my court objected to this, they know better than to say so to me or my sons. Besides, Yugi has joined us for dinner before." The gravity defying hair waved in the air as the girl nodded. "And I also must thank you for rooting out that traitor."

"But it's not certain that he is a traitor."

Ahknamkanen leaned forward. "What do you mean? He threatened your sister and would have killed you if he'd had the chance."

"But we might have gotten in the way of his daughter's happiness. I understand that…Ramla, I think, was infatuated with Prince Yami. He could just be a father who wanted to make his daughter happy."

The pharaoh sighed. "I wish I could be so optimistic, but matters concerning the throne are rarely so empty of malice. This is why Yugi and you are a relief for us." He smiled at the two girls. "Wouldn't you agree, Atem? Yami?" The younger prince nodded crisply. The pharaoh looked to his other side, and frowned. "Atem?"

The boy snapped out of his staring contest with Aziza's hand fiddling with one of the chains in her hair and said, "Yes, of course." Ah. Now the pharaoh knew why Yami had been smiling when he mentioned the litter.

He turned back to Aziza. "I'm sure that when we see your Ka at the trial tomorrow, it will be a beautiful one."

"My Ka, Your Majesty?"

Atem pulled thoughts out of their Aziza-centered daze and focused on what his father was saying. "Yes, the trial tomorrow judges you on many things, including your Ka. We use the Millennium items to judge all the different pieces of a person, including past, surface thoughts, soul, heart, and Ka, or the darkness within a person."

Aziza cocked her head to one side. "But isn't darkness inherently evil?"

"Not quite," continued the pharaoh. "Mischief is different from malice. And sometimes darkness can be a great source of strength and wisdom. A person with only good inside them will never understand a darker heart."

Her face opened as she nodded slowly. "So how do you see whether or not a person's Ka is the wrong kind of darkness?"

He opened his mouth to answer, but closed it and chuckled. "I suppose you will find out tomorrow." The servants came in and placed several dishes in front of the royals and their female guests.

Yami filled Yugi's plate from the large salad bowl. "You probably missed this."

She giggled. "I did, thank you." She dug her fork into the leafy greens, smiling at the boy across the table from her.

Ahknamkanen gestured towards the fish on a platter surrounded by small rolls between him and Aziza. "Would you like some?"

"Yes," she reached forward and grabbed a roll. "Thank you." She returned the favor by pouring a glass of wine and handing it to the king.

He toasted her and took a sip. "Atem," He offered the glass to his son, "perhaps you would like to try some." The prince accepted the cup gratefully and drank some. As he reached for the tall pitcher to refill the goblet, he noticed how his brother was helping Yugi with her plate. Perhaps…

He got up and walked around the table, stopping next to Aziza's chair. "Please, let me help you." He reached out, separated a section of the fish, and levered it onto the girl's plate.

She smiled at him. "Thank you. Would you like some as well?" She said, laughter buried in her tone.

Atem shook his head. "I much prefer the bread." He glanced at the roll on her plate. "You might want to save your roll for after the meal, it has dates in it."

"Really?" She looked at the deceptive lump on her plate. "I've never heard of that before. Well, I've probably heard of it, but I've never had it. How can you tell?"

Ahknamkanen leaned back with his goblet and watched as Yami helped Yugi with her plate and Atem and Aziza discussed the different kinds of roll in front of them. Ah, if only noble girls were this good of conversationalists.

 **Yay, another chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed this bit. I always try to have down time for my characters in the story to show them off as people and not just princes or robbers or whatever other role they play. Please Review and tell me what you think!**


	5. Trial By Item

The next morning, Aziza woke before Yugi. She loosely tied her hair back with a strip of leather as she washed her face and arms. She undid the cord, brushed out her hair and put on the clothes she'd worn when they'd entered the palace, leaving the finery from last night alone. She pulled a leather chord and small sun pendant out of a pocket on the inside of her dress and tied the single adornment around her neck. It seemed plain compared to last night's jewels, but if she was going on trial, she would do so as her father's daughter. Yugi woke while she was tying the chord and smiled sleepily at her. "He's proud of you, no matter what happens today. Both of them are." Aziza smiled at the sentiment and clasped her sister's hand, hauling her out of the bed to her feet.

Joey was waiting outside in the hall for her, without Duke or a litter this time. "Court starts in five minutes. Your and Lord Nizsm's trials are the first thing on the agenda, so I hope you will forgive me." He picked Aziza up bridal style and rushed toward the throne room with Yugi hurrying beside him. When they reached the door, he gently put Aziza back on her feet and told Yugi to go stand on the side of the room with the god hieroglyphics where members of the palace community like Seth the High Priest and Isis the palace healer stood during court session. "Away from the jackals," he added, glaring at the nobles lined up on the king side of the room.

He took a step forward to help Aziza into the room, but she removed his arm from her shoulders. "Thanks, but I'll be fine." She walked to the middle of the room, limping slightly, and knelt as the six bearers of the Millennium items stood in a line in front of her, separating her from the dais where the Pharaoh sat and two princes stood.

A scribe to the side of the room read out, "We will now commence with the trial of Aziza, daughter of none, by the six Millennium items. So let it be written, so let it be done."

One of the figures stepped forward first. "Now, with the Millennium Key, I shall read your mind." The man held the key in front of it and it began to glow as he channeled his will through the object and let it open the mind of the girl in front of him. He hoped her Ka would not be too ugly.

There was a faint rustle of feathers within her mind, as a hard golden eye fixed him in its gaze. He drew out of her mind a little shaken and announced, "Something takes up residence in her heart, but I cannot tell whether it is evil or benign."

He backed away and let Ahknaden, the Pharaoh's brother step forward. "I shall now invoke the properties of my Millennium eye to reveal and extract the being within you," he said to the room. _At least he didn't call it a beast or something,_ she thought. Ahknaden stepped back as he channeled his concentration through the eye towards the girl, expecting the creature to emerge from her mouth like all shadow beasts. But her lips stayed closed. Instead, a white mantle shimmered around her for a moment before it rose into the air above her like fine mist. It gathered together and gradually took on color and shape. Several of the gathered nobles gasped. It was beautiful!

Her sparrow's wings brushed either side of the room, although the woman was no taller than any of the priests. Her hair was an uncommon blond color, with a headdress of gold modeled after a bird's head, with the point ending at the base of the woman's nose and the back disappearing in a rain of feathers that flowed down her back. Her clothing was in the rather primitive style of the older Egyptians, with more tribal markings on the front and a separate top and bottom. Her face was also painted, right underneath her wheat-colored eyes. The leather pendant around her neck matched the one Aziza wore. It would have appeared to be harmless, if not for the large sword in its hands.

Ahknaden could suddenly not get away fast enough. He stumbled back as he screeched, "My lord Pharaoh, this is not a shadow creature, but not entirely benign either! We must seal it!"

"No," commanded the Pharaoh. "I refuse to see shadows and evil where there is none. This being has power, but no malice or intent to harm." He approached the two women, one kneeling, and one hovering. "Shadow creatures, as a rule, attack the nearest entity the moment they are released. It does not strike at me, because I mean it and its bearer no harm. You will use the Millennium Rod to seal it back within Aziza and continue the trial with the weighing of her heart and the inspection of her past deeds."

"But my Pharaoh-"

"That is an order!" Pharaoh Ahknamkanen glowered at his brother before turning away from Aziza and her guardian and walking back up to the throne where his sons stood. The woman dissolved into mist and settled again on Aziza before vanishing altogether.

Another of the priests stepped forward. "Now I will weigh the good of your heart against the bad. If the scales do not balance or tip in the direction of evil, we will have no choice but to imprison you." He held out the scales and they glowed brighter and brighter. Yugi watched anxiously. Aziza had a strong will and had fought on occasion to keep her sisters and others safe. Would it be enough to tip the scales? It seemed not, for the balance remained. "My lord, the evil and good in her heart are equally matched. There is no need to imprison her." He smiled at the girl and backed away.

Finally, Isis stepped forward. "Now I shall delve into your past and glimpse any evil deeds you may have hidden." She concentrated on the necklace and felt its glow as she delved into the world of Aziza's memories.

Scenes flashed past her, beginning with the recent images of the palace, then a crying Yugi home from the palace. More pictures flashed by, this time of her role as a babysitter for the village children, and of prayers before a statue of Ra and one of Isis. The last one she glimpsed was of a man arrayed in gold and a woman with an oddly shaped headdress, holding hands with a child Aziza and smiling. The man turned and looked in her direction. Isis froze. What was…

She came back to herself. "There is nothing inherently evil in this girl's past, My Lord." The priestess backed away and returned to the line.

"By the trial of the Millennium items, Aziza has proven trustworthy. Her testimony regarding the threats made to one Yugi proves the nobleman Nizsm guilty. His trial will now commence." He looked down at the girl still kneeling. "You may go, your presence is no longer required."

Joey walked forward and helped her to her feet. "Come on, let's get you out of here." He helped Aziza out of the throne room. "That was some Ka." She looked up at him. "I've never seen something like that before, almost reminded me of the time I saw the Pharaoh summon one of the Egyptian gods." She snorted. "What are you laughing at?"

"Oh, nothing." She smiled beneath her hand. "I just didn't think you would compare my little Ka to the great gods of Egypt." Joey just shook his head and kept walking toward the guest rooms she and Yugi were staying in for the time being.

 **THis is the part that the cover art is from. Please review, I miss hearing from you all!**


	6. Release of Tension

Duke got up from where he sat outside the small suite the sisters were staying in when he saw Joey approach with Aziza. "Milady, I have orders to take you back to the healing chambers to have your leg treated to." He smiled broadly and bowed.

The girl frowned. "Isn't Isis still with the rest of the court?"

"Yes, but she isn't our only healer, just our best," added Joey. "If you want, you can just wait there until she gets back or let one of the apprentices tend it." He looked at his fellow guardsman. He pointed behind him to the litter, the same one from last night when she ate with the Pharaoh's family. "Mind helping me carry her?"

"Not at all," the boy replied. Duke swept Aziza off her injured foot and gently set her down in the chair. Did his hands linger longer than necessary? _I must have imagined it,_ she thought, because he went to the back and lifted the litter without saying anything.

Once they got to the infirmary, Duke picked her up again and walked into the healing rooms. "Isis should be back in a little while," he said. "Do you want me to stay and keep you company?"

He set her down on one of the cots and she smiled, but refused his offer. "I wouldn't want to keep you from your duties." The two guards left and she sat on the edge of one of the cots and propped her elbows up on her knees. What would happen to her now? She'd probably just go back to her small house at the edges of the capitol city. The kids would be waiting for her. She'd see Yugi every now and again. It would be just like it was while she was living at the palace as a servant. Except now she had to worry about a certain royal. She looked down at the floor and sighed.

Then the sheet touching the floor from her cot moved.

Aziza yanked her legs off the floor and curled around her knees, tense. What if it was a snake? Egypt was known for its deadly reptiles. Or it could be one of that nobleman's men, trying to kill her for damning their master. She got ready to jump off the cot and run for the door when a brown head with a gold and linen headdress peaked out from beneath the sheet.

The head turned and a pair of bluish-green eyes looked up at her. "Eek!" She squeaked and scrambled out from underneath the bed. She bowed low. "I'm so sorry, I didn't think anyone was in here! Please don't tell Isis I was hiding again!"

"Mana," called a voice out in the hall. The brown-haired girl squeaked again and dove back underneath the bed. Moments later, a tall man in a long tan robe entered the room. Then he saw Aziza. "I'm sorry, my lady, but have you seen a girl about this tall?" He put his hand just below his shoulders.

Aziza thought for a moment. "Was she wearing a linen and gold hat, with green eyes?"

Mahad looked slightly startled. "Yes, that's her exactly. How did you know?" She laughed and pointed beneath the bed. Mahad sighed. "Mana, you can't skip your lessons, and on top of your shirking, you bothered one of the Pharaoh's honored guests."

A muffled "what?" came from beneath the bed and a bump sounded, like the girl had hit something. Aziza winced. The girl shot out from underneath the bed and bowed long to Aziza, again. "I am so sorry! I didn't realize you were one of the Pharaoh's guests, I never would have hidden under your bed if I'd known!"

Mahad sighed. "You shouldn't have been hiding in the first place. But now that you've met, I suppose it would only be proper to introduce yourself." Mana's face went red with embarrassment. Mahad stepped forward and bowed. "I am Mahad, court magician and future bearer of the Millennium Ring. This is Mana, my apprentice mage." The girl bowed again, mirroring her master's posture.

Aziza inclined her head. "I am Aziza, Yugi's older sister, but I unfortunately have no other titles." Her mouth quirked up in a smile. "Forgive me for not bowing properly, but I have been told to stay off my feet."

Mahad bowed again. "That is fine, Lady Aziza. I will remove my apprentice and myself now so that you may properly rest." He swept out of the room, a dejected Mana following behind. Aziza settled back against the cushions of the bed and let her mind drift. Mahad had been very interesting, with the gold castings on his shoulders and elaborate gold headdress signifying him as one of the Palace's best magic users. She chuckled to herself. If he wasn't an item bearer yet, he soon would be, especially if he was already good enough at the arts of magic to be teaching someone else, even if his student liked to play hooky. Her leg gave a twinge and she looked down at it. The wound was beginning to redden slightly. She wished Isis would hurry up.

Speak of Osiris, and he shall appear. Isis walked through the doors into the healing chambers. "Hello, my lady. I hope you were not waiting long."

Aziza shook her head. "Besides, I had wonderful company while I was waiting." She told Isis about the errant girl magician and her minder while Isis checked her foot, applied more slave, and bandaged it again.

Isis laughed. "Mana often escapes during her magic lessons, usually trying to find one of the princes or Yugi. All three are good friend with the girl, but the princes are usually too busy to join in her mischief. Although," she added, "Yugi often got mixed up in her pranks. Mana missed your sister while she was gone."

"Sounds like Yugi was the darling of the palace. She never told me about half of this stuff." That made Aziza uneasy what else had her sister forgotten to mention? "Might I ask a question?"

"Go ahead," Isis urged as she sat next to the bed and moved Aziza's leg into her lap to get a better look at the wound.

"Does Mahad have one of the millennium items?"

Isis shook her head. "But one of the current bearers is growing old, and thinking of retirement from the royal service. When that time comes, his ring will choose another to wield it, and that person will become its bearer." She smiled. "That is how it happened with my necklace. However, I wouldn't be surprised if Mahad was chosen by one of the items. His powers are very strong, so strong that he had to seal away a great deal of them to avoid mass destruction."

Aziza laughed. "Sounds like the perfect candidate." She leaned forward towards Isis. "How did the rest of the court session go?"

"The nobleman who threatened your sister was tried and found guilty. His Ka was truly ugly." Isis winced at the memory. "The pharaoh sentenced him to death for threatening a royal family member through his words to Yugi. He will be thrown to the Nile beasts tomorrow morning."

Aziza made a disgusted face. "I hope we don't have to watch that. Did Yugi say what she would be doing later," the girl asked.

Isis finished removing the old bandage and got up to grab a salve from one of the many shelves in the room. She sat back down as she answered, "I think she was going to spend most of the day with Yami, since you have to stay here for the day. I might have to keep you overnight if an infection crops up, but it should be fine."

"Well," Aziza said as she looked around the room, "what shall we do while the lovebirds flutter around together?" Isis laughed and got out a small senet set.

 **Please review! And yes, I have plans for Duke but I won't reveal them just yet. I miss hearing from you all!**


	7. Plans Laid in the Night

As it turned out, Isis did not have to keep Aziza in the infirmary overnight. In fact, by the end of the day, she could walk on her own with only a small limp. She met Yugi back at their guest chambers and as the two sisters got ready for bed, Aziza asked her sister something she'd been wondering on and off all day. "Do you think you'll stay in the palace now?"

"Of course!" Yugi almost sang. "The Pharaoh said I'm to remain as Yami's suitor."

"What does that entail, exactly?" Aziza asked.

"Well, it means that I'm the only one Yami's thinking about seriously marrying. I get to be with him all the time, even during court sessions and meals, and other girls have to ask my permission before they talk to him, since it's been decided that I'm the most likely person for his wife."

"Ah." Aziza nodded. "Then everything's worked out for the best." She folded her clothes and pulled on the nightgown the palace servants had provided for her. "I guess I'll be going back tomorrow."

Crash!

Aziza turned around. Yugi had dropped her necklace on the floor. "What?" The girl stared at her older sister. "But you can't!"

"Why not?" Aziza shrugged her shoulders. "I'm just here for your sake. It's not like I work here, or have any official duties. I'm just a guest. It wouldn't be right for me to stay and keep infringing on their hospitality." She ruffled her sister's spiky hair. "We should get to bed. I'll probably leave early tomorrow morning."

She slipped between the linen sheets and let her head sink into the pillow, Yugi doing the same beside her, listening. Once Aziza's breath deepened into sleep's telltale rhythm, the little scamp slipped from the bed and out the door, trying not to wake her sister with rustling sheets or footsteps. She prayed no one, guard or servant, would stop her tonight.

Yami had just tied on his sleep shenti when footsteps sounded outside his door. Yami tensed and slipped his hand under his pillow, feeling around for the hilt of the dagger he kept there is case of attacks at night. The door opened and the light from the hall torches outlined a spiky hairdo that only belonged to two people, and the person was too short to be his brother. "Yugi, don't do that. You frightened me." He let go of the dagger and rushed forth to hug the smaller girl.

She chuckled. "Sorry. Did you think I was an assassin?" He scowled down at her, but that only made her laugh again. They walked over to the bed and sat down next to each other. "I know it's late, but I needed to talk to you about Aziza."

"Your sister?" Yugi nodded. "What's wrong? Is her leg hurting her?"

She shook her head. "No, but she told me she plans to leave early tomorrow morning. She said she didn't belong here."

"No!" Yami lurched to his feet. "She can't leave! Atem-"

"Yes, but she doesn't know anything about that," Yugi soothed, getting Yami to sit down next to her again. "She thinks that, since there's nothing here she can do, she should leave and not inconvenience anyone."

Yami brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "She's too kind for her own good. I suppose she learned it from you." Yugi giggled and grabbed his hand, taking it away from her face but holding tightly to his fingers. "I guess we just need to find something for her to do, then." He stood and pulled Yugi up with him. "We need to go speak with my father."

The Pharaoh looked up from his wash basin, the water dirty with the kohl from his eyes, when a knock sounded on his door. Unlike Yami, he didn't reach for a weapon, knowing the guards in the hallway would not allow for the approach of anyone who looked even slightly suspicious. "Come in." The door opened and the young lovebirds entered the Pharaoh's chambers. Ahknamkanen smiled at the two. "Well, this is a surprise." Then he noticed their worried expressions. "Is something the matter?"

"It's my sister Aziza, My Lord," Yugi answered.

"Please," asked the pharaoh, "Don't use my title when we're in private. What is wrong with your sister?"

"She plans to leave the palace tomorrow morning."

No. She couldn't, especially not when Atem- but he was getting ahead of himself. It was better that he get all the details first. "Did she say why?"

Yugi nodded. "She felt that, since she had no duties and didn't work here, that she should return home and not burden you."

The man began to think. With the fall of Lord Nizsm, many positions his supporters had held were now open. He needed to pick new guards, servants, a council member, and a librarian. Even the kitchens were now shorthanded. Then he remembered that last one. Perhaps… "Yugi, can your sister read?"

"Yes. We were taught by our parents." _Okay, maybe it's a little white lie,_ she thought to herself, _but we do know how to read._

Ahknamkanen smiled. "One of the disgraced Nizsm's retainers had the position of librarian here in our record hall. He has of course been moved from his position to avoid future incidents, but we are now in desperate need of someone who can keep the scrolls straight. Perhaps you sister would like to fill the position. With her reputation in the court as a person of impeccable character, it would not be difficult to procure the position for her."

Yugi face lit up. "That's perfect! But how will we keep her from leaving tomorrow?"

"Post two guards at the door to ensure she stays in the chamber until Atem or I can inform her of the change. You will have to ensure she gets ready, Yugi." The girl nodded fervently to Yami. "You should get back to your sister before she realizes you're missing." Grinning broadly, Yugi walked back out into the hall and towards the quarters she now shared with her sister.

Yami turned to his father, a small smirk lingering around his mouth. "Atem studies at the library almost every day, Father. I doubt he will learn much if Aziza is constantly distracting him."

"Ah, but you see, my son," he grinned at his second eldest, "that is precisely what I am hoping for."

 **With a new job and a audiobook project going on, I've not been writing very regularly. Those things, and the distinct lack of reviews are not encouraging. But I will continue to write, thanks for some inspiration from the books by Bruce Coville. He has almost the same writing style as me and has given me a few very good ideas.**


	8. What happens in a library

One of the servants walked up to the newly installed scrollmaster of the Royal Library. "My Lord Pharaoh requests the Scriptures on the laws regarding the treatments of hippos, Lady Aziza."

The woman looked up from the pile of scrolls she was sifting through in an attempt to catalogue them and nodded with a smile. "I think they're over here." She walked to the right.

The servant stammered, "M-my lady!"

"Yes?"

He sheepishly pointed to the left. "I think the records are that way."

Her face fell. "Oh, I'm sorry. It's just that…well, I only started yesterday, and …"

Bowing low, he said, "It's alright. I was much the same way when I started work, although my predecessor was here to teach me," he man answered with a grin. Her shoulders loosened and she walked to the left, now remembering where those particular records were.

It had been a shock when, the morning after she'd told her sister she was leaving, the pharaoh had summoned her to the court and offered her the position of scrollmaster. She would have turned him down, if not for the fact that she rarely had the chance to read at home. Stupid love of books, it got her into so much trouble. She grabbed the scroll off the shelf, checked the first page to make sure it was the right record, and walked back to where the servant waited. "Here you are." She smiled and the boy flashed a grin back at her before running off.

"It is good that you are learning," said a voice from behind her. Aziza jumped at the voice and Atem chuckled from his desk laden with papyrus and assignments from his tutors.

She turned around and scowled at him. "Shouldn't a prince, oh, I don't know, learn about his kingdom instead of annoying those who work for him?"

He just smiled wider and tucked away the last of the scrolls. "Well, I have finished my studies for today."

"Really?" She leaned over and picked up one of the scrolls from the floor where he'd hoped she wouldn't notice it. She unrolled it and read out, "Please prepare six inches discussing the power structure of the…" she gulped, "of the Royal Harem." She looked at him, barely withholding a smile at the blush dusting his cheeks. Royal Harem?

He snatched back the scroll and rolled it up tightly. "So how are you adjusting," he asked in an obvious attempt to change the subject.

Aziza stifled her giggles at his face and went along with the abrupt change in conversation. "I'm learning my way around, although the bowing servants will take some getting used to."

He tied the scroll closed with a strip of leather and gathered the others up underneath one arm. "Perhaps you could walk with me back to my tutor's lodging so I can hand these in. I could point out a few things to you along the way, and court's finished for the day so no one will be asking for scrolls."

She smiled. "Sounds good. How did you know court was over?"

Atem shrugged and said, "Father always handles ceremonial business at the end of the court session. The record the servant was asking for dealt with the treatment of ceremonial animals, so court must be over or close to it. Shall we?" She smiled and followed him out the door.

They walked through the wing of the palace dedicated to more scholarly pursuits and Atem dropped off his scrolls to the different tutors who had assigned the work. Aziza could tell when it was the scroll she'd picked up. He blushed when he left it on the table and got out of the room as quickly as possible. When she gave him a questioning look, he said, "That tutor has three daughters." He shuddered. _That's funny,_ Aziza wondered. _Why would they assign…oh._ She shuddered as well. He frowned even more. "It's been getting worse lately, but it's not unbearable."

"Maybe you should get an official suitor, like Yugi is to Yami now. That would help with the problem," Aziza wondered out loud.

"I would, except I don't know any women who would not either crumble under the ill will from others or become embittered. Yugi was a rare find, and she does not have to endure the scrutiny that any suitor of mine would have to." They kept walking.

They finally got out of the wing and into the central courtyard of the palace. Arranged as a series of open air hallways between pagodas and smaller, more private rooms made from trimmed hedges tall enough to block intruding eyes, it was a perfect place to relax for a while and enjoy the beautiful gardens. During the hottest part of the day, the gardens were all but deserted, but with Ra now setting, many of the nobles had ventured out into the cooler air, a few trailed by their personal servants. "Sometimes Father stations guards around one of the pagodas and we eat here instead of the dining room. We mostly do that during the winter months, because it gets cooler earlier," Atem said.

Aziza laughed. "And I suppose the guards prevent others from interloping, especially the young ladies," she teased. Atem laughed at the joke, making many of the girls in the garden glare at Aziza. She noticed and glared back. What, did they have something against Prince Atem's happiness?

As if in response, one of the girls muttered something to her personal servant and the boy approached the brunette. "My lady would like to read the scroll detailing the treatment of cats. She has requested that you go with me to the library to find it and that I deliver it to her." Aziza rolled her eyes at the obvious attempt to get the prince alone, but obeyed nonetheless. Besides, she would see the prince again tomorrow when he came into study.

Atem looked after her as she walked back into the stone corridor with the servant following behind. She'd seemed to like the idea of eating outside. _Perhaps we should have dinner outside sometime soon, and invite our new librarian._ And perhaps a walk in the gardens afterwards, without Father or Yami watching him.

Inside the library, Aziza quickly grabbed the scroll from its shelf and handed it to the servant who scurried off with the bundle in his hands. She then walked to one of the drop-off desks, where the pharaoh placed scrolls he was finished reading. She gathered up the bundle, but one fell and unrolled on the floor. She put the other scrolls back on the desk and picked up the one on the floor, just glimpsing one of the lines of text. "He will wed the First Princess of the House of Life…" She picked it up and read the surrounding lines. She gasped and quickly rolled the scroll back up. No wonder the other girls didn't want her around the prince when he had something like this hanging over him. This was going to be a problem.

 **Thank you to all those who reviewed. A tree the size of a telephone pole recently fell on my house, and I spent a week in Florida with my boyfriend's family. Now you know why I haven't posted. Please review! I'm trying to get past a writer's block for your sake, so a little encouragement is a wonderful thing.**


	9. Palace Machinations

Aziza read the scroll again. _Eighteenth birthday…when is Atem's birthday?_ She looked up at the walls covered in hieroglyphics. _Where is the section about Pharaoh Ahknamkanen?_ She scanned the walls looking for the string of symbols that detailed the current king's name. _There!_ She hurried over to the other side of the library and leaned back so she could see the whole script from top to bottom. Atem's birthday was surely written here. The birth of the heir was a huge event and would have been recorded. She found his name near the middle of the existing script, followed by a date. Something clenched inside her. His birthday was only a month and a half away!

She unrolled the scroll still clenched in her hand and looked at another of the details. The First Princess of the House of Life, Tea, was the intended bride. Aziza walked to the histories of the temples, looking for the most recent additions. The symbol for the House of Life was The Egyptian hieroglyph for "life" with Hathor's sky symbol over it, so she looked for a new scroll with that on its label. When she found it, Aziza unrolled the first foot and skimmed it for the name Tea. When she found the announcement of her birth, she groaned. The girl was almost five years older than Atem! _Still,_ she thought, _sometimes age doesn't matter. In fact, sometimes it's better to have a big gap like that._ All the same, she kept reading.

What she found was not encouraging. "Does her tasks exactly as she is told." That meant the girl either had no imagination or did not think for herself, or perhaps was simply too lazy to do more. "Fair of face with beautiful brown hair." Hah! As if brown hair was anything extraordinary. Aziza had brown hair herself. Now Yugi's hair would have been something to brag about. "Displays maidenly caution and a dislike for the courser matters of common life." Oh, so she was a coward who lived in luxury and turned her nose up at anything else! _Calm down Aziza,_ she told herself. _It might not be as bad as I think. She could simply be a very beautiful girl who delights in doing things perfectly and is a bit more shy and ignorant than an average girl. And why am I so critical of her, anyway? It's not as if I…_ Aziza shied away from that train of thought, but some part of her plowed on. _It's not as if I think I would be a better candidate._

Or did she?

She slowly rolled the scroll back up and put it back on the shelf. Was she really so presumptuous to think she would make a good match for the Crown Prince of Egypt? This girl Tea had probably been groomed for the position of queen since she could speak, taught the manners and proper behavior for a queen and given every advantage for her physical attributes and education. But then she remembered the scroll and what it had said between the lines. Aziza straightened up. She wouldn't decide anything until she knew more.

Yugi popped her head through the doorway and shouted, "Aziza, are you here?"

"Yes, I'm here," the older girl answered as she walked back towards the door. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

"What do you mean?" the spiky-headed girl asked.

Aziza shrugged. "I'm just wondering what could possibly have dragged you away from your beloved to visit a poor little librarian such as myself," she commented.

Yugi's face fell and she mumbled, "I'm sorry, it's just that, well, I'm not really supposed to leave him and he's always so busy that I…what's so funny?"

For indeed her sister was chuckling. "I was only joking, Yugi. I know you just want to spend time with him," she said as she ruffled her sister's spiky hair. "Besides, watching me sort scrolls all day can't be much fun." Yugi knocked away her hand with a smile. "But why were you looking for me?"

She grabbed Aziza's hand and started pulling her out of the library and down the hallway. "Yami and his family invited us to dinner tonight," she explained. "We have to go get ready!"

The older girl groaned. "Isn't this fine enough," she asked as she gestured down at her sheath dress and gold collar with the hieroglyphs for "keeper of the scrolls" on it.

Yugi shrugged. "It might be normally, but the Pharaoh is inviting one of his high priests and a few other members of the court to eat with us," she explained. "Yami and I picked out something for you." Of course, Atem had helped too, fussing over which jewels would look best in her hair or on her neck, but her sister didn't need to know that. Yugi almost giggled at the thought.

Her sister, on the other hand, groaned. She wished Yugi and her prince would stop treating her like a dress-up doll! Still, with the more prestigious company she might have gone to them for help anyway, especially since she didn't want to ruin Yugi's chances of being accepted by the court. The intended of a prince could not have disgraceful family. So she let Yugi pull her back to their quarters so they could prepare for tonight's dinner.

Once they had washed and dressed in their finery, Yugi brought out the jewelry she and the princes had picked for the night. She took out hers, a gold bracelet with hieroglyphics detailing her position and a bead necklace with a pendant that looked like a coiled cobra, one of the goddess Hathor's symbols. Besides the sun pendant she'd received from her father, it was Yugi's favorite necklace.

She heard a gasp behind her and turned. Aziza was holding out her necklace as if it might bite her. "I picked it out," Yugi commented and her sister's stricken expression eased.

She laid the beautiful sparrow-shaped necklace over her collarbone and brushed her hair over her shoulder so she could tie it together behind her neck. "I was afraid they suspected something," Aziza said.

"Don't worry, they don't even know about Dad," Yugi said. She bit her lip and asked, "Would it be alright to tell Yami someday? If we do end up getting married, I don't…"

Aziza pulled her into a hug. "Of course you can tell him. Husbands and wives shouldn't have secrets between them, especially not something like this." Then she pulled away and grinned at Yugi. "Besides, I want to see the look on his face when he realizes just whose daughter he sent from the palace crying."

She laughed as Yugi gently elbowed her and scolded, "That wasn't his fault and you know it."

"I do, I do," the older girl said, still chuckling. "Come on, we have to get going or we'll be late!"

 **This story may grind to a halt, even though it wasn't moving particularly fast to begin with, as I now have a wedding to plan. My boyfriend proposed to me on the first morning of 2016! So I hope you enjoyed an intelligent Aziza figuring out all about Atem's current marriage predicament.**

 **Please Review!**


	10. Seth's Opinion

"So how was the library today, Lady Aziza," Ahknamkanen asked in an effort to move the girl's attention from Seth to himself.

It didn't work. "It was fine, My Lord, although I did have a bit of trouble looking for the document about the ceremonial treatment of hippos," she replied, not shifting her glare a single inch. Seth and Aziza had been locked in a staring contest since the High Priest had implied that she was lesser than he had expected.

Seth had inspected the girl when she came in, knowing the king's hopes for her. _Plain brown hair, orphaned with no family prominence, and only a passing knowledge of court workings, and this is the girl the pharaoh wants as our next queen?_ He'd shaken his head at the sheer foolishness. He had turned to the pharaoh and asked, "Sir, I understand why you employed this girl as a librarian. We were so short staffed that a trained monkey would have filled the spot. But did you really have to bring such an unkempt, common-blooded girl to the royal table? If not for her sister's meagre redeeming qualities, I would doubt her ability to intelligently interact with anyone at this table."

He'd taken his seat after that, and she'd taken hers right across from him and proceeded to level a glare that would have burned through his headdress had she been anything other than a mere girl. Still, Seth greatly doubted the tales he'd heard about her appearance in the court on her first day and the trial that followed. After a few minutes went by, his only change of opinion was that she was stupid enough to glare at a high ranking official of the court such as himself when an intelligent person would have backed off after such a tongue lashing.

After the pharaoh's attempt at a distraction, she spoke to Seth. "Why was the document on hippos needed?"

"What," he asked with a bored tone. Was the monkey attempting conversation?

Then she had the gall to sigh at him! "I mean, what incident was brought before the court that required such a document?" She still hadn't looked away from Seth, so her comment was directed at him. "Did some farmer have an issue with a hippo disturbing his fields and the document lent guidance about how to handle the matter? Was there some poacher that needed to be disciplined and the papers would help determine his punishment? Is there some upcoming ceremony known only to the court that demands a review of that particular scroll?" She brought one eyebrow up near her hairline, daring him to answer her.

He looked away from her in slight distain. What a wild imagination. "A hippo calf was found in one of the palace gardens closest to the Nile and the gardeners had questions about the proper manner in which to return it to the river. Your mind is certainly full of rubbish," he remarked.

But she did not shrink from him. She replied, rather icily, "then such cases as the ones I described have not happened in the past three months?"

Both Seth and Ahknamkanen started slightly. Both could remember several incidents that had occurred within that time frame. "How would you know about that," the pharaoh asked, very curious.

She smiled at him, turning her whole face towards him so it was clear who it was directed at and replied," Well when court is not in session but I am still required to be in the library to help various patrons, I read the records of the court to pass the time. Studying the precedents of certain situations may help to come to _better_ conclusions in the future. We could also do it more quickly if we can reference decisions from the past instead of always having to consult a large variety of laws to find the answers."

Sitting back in his chair, Seth's scowl changed to a more thoughtful expression. That was true. Perhaps they should have someone read the records and condense the preceding cases so that they could consult the one document instead of all the different scrolls they used just this morning. Then his scowl returned He couldn't believe he was seriously considering the commoner's idea!

Aziza watched the emotions play out on his face. _Weren't expecting that, were you?_ She gloated to herself. There was no way she was going to let his remarks about her go unaddressed, especially since he'd brought Yugi into the argument. Her happiness aside, no one threatened the romance between her sister and the younger prince. Satisfied that she had at least given the priest something to think about, she stopped ignoring the rest of the table and asked Atem what had happened in the gardens after she'd left.

"I was swarmed by girls."

Yami choked on his wine when he heard that answer. He stared at his brother. "When did this happen," he asked incredulously.

The crown prince put down his fork, swallowed, and answered, "right after Aziza left with one of their personal servants to go grab a scroll for one of them. It' was much worse than usual. In fact, it's been much worse since you became Yami's intended, Yugi." He glanced over at the girl. She blushed pinker than the sunset and the hand holding Yami's tightened slightly. He smiled at her, brought the hand to his mouth, and landed a delicate kiss on the back of it. She giggled.

Aziza smiled at the pair of lovebirds. "Perhaps it's because you're the only royal they have a chance with now," she added, although her mind was spinning on a whole different track of thought. Could they have found out about the time limit? And if so, how much did they know? Did Atem himself even know? She asked, "Is there any other reason you can think of?"

"No," replied the elder prince. "not that I know of."

Ahknamkanen watched as Aziza's expression closed up into a cordial mask and she changed the subject by asking what the court session had been like that day, most specifically if there had been any trials using the Millennium Items. But their conversation had reminded him of that most bothersome law. He would have to tell Atem about it, soon. They were running out of time.

 **This is a prelude of things to come, but I really tried to keep Seto in character. How did I do? Please Review!**


	11. Investigations

Aziza poked her head around a painted column, saw no guards or priests, and ran across the courtyard and deeper into the temple. Clutching the scroll that would be her excuse if someone caught her sneaking in to the House of Life, she peaked around the corner where the courtyard joined a hallway and, when she saw no one, ran down the hallway to the next courtyard, an area for the priests still in training to relax after their duties were finished for the day. During the past week, she'd studied any scroll about the layout of the House of Life that she could get her hands on in preparation for this excursion. She was sneaking into one of the most important temples to find out just what kind of person this Tea really was.

Atem, Yugi, and the rest of the royal family and higher nobility were taking a trip along the Nile for the next three days, so court would not be in session and the library would not be needed for the first time in about two weeks, so she was safe on that front. The scroll she carried was a document detailing certain rituals the House of Life performed, something they had asked for offhandedly yesterday. She just prayed she didn't get caught in some sacred chamber or something, but since she was headed for the ward's quarters instead of the main temple area, she doubted that would happen.

Glancing around a corner covered in hieroglyphics and quickly moving into an empty courtyard, she grinned at the statue of Ra's dragon form in the middle. This courtyard was right outside the rooms where she would find her quarry. But then someone laughed and she ducked back around the corner as two girls came into the courtyard. "Come on, we'll be late," a girl with a black wig said, pulling another behind her. "The Prince is passing by on the Nile today. We don't want to miss it!"

The girl, probably older than Aziza, pulled her hand away from the younger girl and rubbed the fingers. "He'll be going by for a few hours at least. We don't have to get there the instant his ship appears. And besides, he'll be surrounded by nobles and the like," she drawled. You could see she was bored with the other girl's enthusiasm. Aziza disliked those who scorned enthusiasm, even if it was only driven by a silly crush. "We probably won't be able to see him anyway."

The younger girl frowned. "Aw, come on, Tea! Don't you want to see your future husband?" she teased.

Aziza risked a closer look at the older girl. So that was Tea. Well, the scrolls hadn't lied when they'd said she was pretty. Her rare blue eyes were set beneath gleaming brown hair, which was shorter than she'd expected. With her lithe, tall build, she did cut a pretty figure. Still, the librarian frowned. The girl didn't want to see Atem, or didn't think he was worth the effort of getting up early. Tea opened her mouth again. "You didn't even let me finish bathing this morning. Do you think I want to see the prince smelling like a commoner?"

Oh, so she thought commoners smelled? Aziza wondered if she'd ever actually had the chance to test that statement. Then the smaller girl said, "He won't be close enough to smell you, and you take hours to bathe with all those fancy oils and perfumes every day. Where do you get half of the stuff anyway?"

Tea smiled. "One of the scribes goes up to the palace every once in a while, and I've told him I'll give him a kiss for every bottle he brings back for me," she bragged to the other girl.

Aziza slipped back around the wall and clenched her hands, crumpling the scroll. That thrice accursed daughter of a jackal! She'd been stealing from the palace! She'd risked some poor man's freedom for the sake of a few bottles of perfume! How much worse could it get if she became queen? Would she invade The Far East to get her hands on their spices and oils? No, Tea couldn't be trusted with that sort of power if she ignored morals like this. The librarian turned around and started to walk out. She had heard enough. There was no way she was letting Atem marry that girl.

Line Break

When the group of royals and court official disembarked the barge for lunch, Ahknamkanen sent one of the servants to get Shimon. The advisor passed Joey on his way inside the tent and bowed to the figure inside. He asked, "What is it, My Lord?"

The Pharaoh steepled his fingers together and looked over the tips at one of his oldest friends with furrowed brows. "I see one son who is happy with the love of his life, and another who doesn't know he will soon be chained to someone he has never met before, but I still hope he will find love before then," he explained. "What should I do?"

"Well," Shimon said after considering the matter for a moment, "the first thing I would do is tell Prince Atem about that law so he could look for a bride in earnest. Right now, he doesn't even know he needs to, and we have just over a month left to find such a candidate. I would also bring Lady Tea into the palace, at least for a while, so that the prince can get to know her so he can decide if he wants to marry her or find someone else." The Pharaoh growled and Shimon smiled a little. His old friend hadn't changed. He still had trouble balancing his duties as a king with his duties as a father. "I would also see if there was anyone Prince Atem fancied and talk to her about the law and whether or not she would be willing to consider marrying the lad."

Ahknamkanen raised his head and Shimon saw that his worried expression had lessened. "There is indeed someone I could talk to about that," he said. Because over the past two weeks, no, ever since Yugi came back, Atem had been spending an unusual amount of time in the library, and the Pharaoh didn't think it was because of the books. It seemed he would have to have a chat with his librarian when they returned to the palace.

Shimon walked out of the tent again, not noticing the somber expression on the face of the young blond guard. But Joey's head was already spinning with ideas.

 **Thank you all for your wonderful comments about last chapter. I tried not to hate on Tea too much, but she would not be a good candidate for a queen and I wanted to make that clear.**


	12. In which Plans are Laid

"Come on, Mana! We have to help!" Joey pleaded with the magician in training. He needed her help if any of his ideas about getting Atem and Aziza together would work. She was the best at getting people out of trouble due to long practice, and a little magic never hurt.

Mana looked back at the blond guard and quickly looked away. There was a reason the high priest called him 'mutt' whenever Joey annoyed him. He had a devastating pair of Puppy Dog Eyes, and she would give in the moment he was desperate enough to try them on her. She sighed. "How do you know they even like each other like that? They could just be friends."

"Better for him to get married to a friend than to a stranger. We don't know anything about this Tea chick. 'Sides, Yugi would be happy if Aziza stayed in the palace, and I think the Pharaoh wants them to be together almost as much as I do," he reasoned, playing on her fondness for Yugi and her sense of duty to His Majesty. "Please, Mana?"

She looked over at him and got the Puppy Dog Eyes full force. She quickly turned away, heat rising in her cheeks. "Alright, alright! You know I can't say no when you look at me like that. Ra, how did someone as loudmouthed as you even get a face like that?" Joey just laughed. She sighed. Why could she never escape this? "So what's your plan?"

Joey grinned and Mana brightened at the thought of lots of fun.

* * *

Atem hid under the awning on his ship. He really wanted to go to the edge of the boat and dip his fingers in the cool water, maybe splash some on his chest so it didn't feel quite so much like Ra had a vendetta against him. Or better yet, have Aziza with him so the long, supposedly scenic but really just boring sojourn down the river would be filled with conversation of some sort, at least. Yugi and Yami, and his father had their own boats respectively, and he wouldn't want to intrude necessarily, but none of the servants he'd brought along wanted to talk to him and Joey, the one guard who might have at least joked with him, had been given prow duty, watching for any dangerous animals on their course.

He leaned his head back against the high back of the chair and thought about the conversation he and Aziza had had the day before he left.

* * *

He slammed his hands down on the table in front of him. "Argh! How am I supposed to remember which King won which battle and which god was their patron? Why do I even need to?"

Aziza peaked out from behind one of the shelves. "What?"

"Nothing," he growled out. Couldn't she leave him alone just this once, when he wasn't being brilliant and wanted to vent his frustrations on something?

But she just rolled her eyes and joined him at the table, standing on the other side. She twisted her head so she could read one of the scrolls on the table, upside down as it was from where she was standing. "So you have to memorize the fact that Pharaoh Iry-Ka fought and won a great battle in the desert and contributed his success to his Patron God Seth?" He nodded sullenly. "Well I can see how that might be useful."

He looked up at her and wondered aloud, "What do you mean?"

She gestured at the scroll. "Well, this pharaoh prayed to the patron god of the terrain where he would be fighting, asking for Seth's blessing since he's the god of the desert. That was why he was able to win. He had the terrain on his side."

Atem looked back at the scrolls. That was actually fairly useful for battles and the like. He picked up the next scroll and began reading avidly.

* * *

He almost chuckled at the memory, only remembering at the last minute to hold it in, lest his subjects think him strange. He would have to hold his mirth in until he could go to the library again and laugh with Aziza about something. And she always did find something. Two weeks after her appointment, she'd hurtled into the library at a run and hid underneath the table he was working at, trying to get away from one of the guards who'd thought she was a kitchen maid and wanted her to bring him lunch.

Atem had held in his laughter long enough to explain the situation to the guard, who had blushed redder than Ra's sunset and stammered out an apology to the prince and the librarian. The girl had crawled out from underneath the table with her necklace askew and her hair tangled across her face. Atem hadn't been able to hold it in when he'd seen that. Just remembering it made him almost laugh again.

"No hippos or crocodiles, ahead, My Lord." Joey said, snapped the prince's attention to him. But he caught sight of the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth and grinned himself, sly and teasing. "Thinking about a certain brunette, Your Highness?"

Atem glared, but couldn't keep the blush rising up around his cheekbones and decorating the tips of his ears. "No, I…" he tried to come up with a rebuttal, but the words flew out of his head and he simply scowled at Joey with wounded pride. "Shouldn't you get back to the prow, soldier?"

Joey was very tempted to roll his eyes at his royal friend and he bowed so low it was nearly a mockery and returned to his place at the front of the boat. Atem was definitely head over heels. Now he just had to make the prince admit it.

* * *

Back in the palace, Aziza ran her mind over the problem again. Atem had to get married in barely more than a month, and his only option right now was Tea, and she wasn't looking like the most ideal candidate for the job. The spoiled temple girl would probably get Atem and the whole of Egypt into trouble. But the only other option would be if someone else came forward and asked for the privilege. Aziza breathed in slowly, held it, and then let it out on a long, tired sigh. She had some thinking to do.

 **I'm trying to update at least twice a month, but I got sledgehammered with a story idea for Star Wars. Plus, we're quickly approaching one of the scenes this whole story was built on, but I keep feeling like I'm rushing it too much because I really want to write that part. Am I putting in enough feelings and sort-of romance for Atem and Aziza?**

 **Please Review!**


	13. For the Prince

"Aw, come on, Duke. We gotta do this for da prince!"

"I said no, Joey!" The dark haired guard glared at his blond friend. "I'm not going to help you prank the prince and Aziza." And he stormed off, but not before Mana spotted the hint of pink on his ears. She'd have to ask more about that later.

"Fine," Joey answered in a huff. "Then we'll do it by ourselves. Come on, Mana." The apprentice magic user let her slightly goofy friend drag her away and explain his plan to her.

Which is how she wound up lying on the floor of the library waiting for who she now referred to in the privacy of her mind as the "blind birds", because the two were quite clearly in love and didn't know it. Or, she thought, Atem didn't at least. It was hard to read Aziza at times, so the budding magician wasn't entirely sure of what she felt for the prince. Still, Joey's insane plan would probably give her a few clues, even if it wasn't likely to work.

The guard had set traps all over the palace cellar last night with the excuse of checking their food supplies for tampering and currently had some of the mice he'd caught in a small lidded basket. "It's gonna work, I tell ya," he'd said when he showed her the mouse. "We just release these little guys in the library when Atem and Aziza are sitting at the table together. She'll get scared and jump into his arms, maybe knock him over. And," he'd added in a sing song manner, "When she jumps into his arms, they look deep into each other's eyes and see just how perfect they are together. Problem solved." Mana wasn't so sure, but it was worth a shot at least.

Footsteps sounded across the cold stone floor and Mana caught a glimpse of spikey hair coming into the library before it vanished quickly behind one of the shelves. He called for Aziza. "Probably wants her ta get him a scroll or something," Joey said, almost rolling his eyes. "Never thought my friend was that much of an idiot." Mana would have objected to calling the crown prince stupid, but in this case it was justified. He just wanted her around, was it so hard to admit that without some sort of excuse?

Joey pushed up with his arms and lifted his head just enough to see through the small gap into the row of scrolls that gave a clear view of the pair currently chatting about the scrolls Aziza had just laid out on the table. Slowly, quietly, Joey lowered himself back down and whispered, "Okay, let's let them loose." He tipped the basket onto its side so the lid was facing the other side of the room where he'd placed bait so that the mice would see it the second the lid was removed, and hopefully run for the other side of the room right underneath the table where Atem and Aziza were talking. He Lifted the lid just a fraction…

"Your Highness," a voice asked from the doorway. Joey slammed the lid back into place and held it down. He pushed up with one hand until he could see the couple again and the door beyond them. The person who'd ruined Joey's brilliant plan, one of the Pharaoh's messengers, rose from his bow towards the prince and turned to the librarian. "The Pharaoh would speak with you, my prince." Atem nodded, said something to Aziza in a low voice, and followed the messenger. Joey lowered himself back down and looked at Mana. She shrugged. She had no idea what was going on either.

Line Break

Ahknamkanen stopped pacing when the guard announced the return of his messenger with his eldest son. "very well, you may let him in." Atem walked through the door and dropped the curtain behind him, giving both royals a measure of privacy.

"You wished to see me, Father," the young prince asked.

The pharaoh nodded and all but fell into one of the chairs situated near a small table in a corner of the room. Atem joined him, taking a seat across from him. Once they both were relaxed, Ahknamkanen leaned forward and put his elbows on the table, propping his chin up on his folded hands. "Lady Tea of the House of Life will be coming to visit us tomorrow, and I expect you to make her acquaintance, Atem." He sighed at the questioning look his son gave him. "But that is not all I wanted to say to you. I have a dilemma, Atem," he said. "I know what I have to do as Pharaoh, but cannot as a father."

"Does this have something to do with Yami or I?" Atem asked, leaning forward as well, a frown marring his forehead. If his father was being so serious, this couldn't be good news.

"Yes," he answered, letting one hand drop to his lap and rubbing the other over his eyes. "There is a law concerning all those destined for the throne. It was written to ensure that those of us who rule have a worthy partner to help with that burden, and has worked wonderfully in the past. But I fear it will not this time, and I cannot allow you to be blindsided when it happens at the end of this week."

Ahknamkanen unrolled the scroll bearing the law regarding Atem and Tea of the House of Life onto the table and told his son to read.

By the time Atem was finished with the parchment, His hands held the arm rests of his chair in a white-knuckled grip. He finished, looked up, and glared at his father. "Why did you not tell me of this before? I could have used the time to find someone else!"

The pharaoh rolled the scroll back up. "Lady Tea is not palatable then?"

Atem's voice was harsh as he answered, "Marrying someone I do not know is not palatable!" He ran a hand through his spikey hair. "If I'd known earlier, perhaps I could have gotten to know her, even grown to love her. You and Mother did." The prince paused and glanced up at his father. "She was from the House of Life, wasn't she?"

"Yes," the king admitted. "But my father did not make the same mistake I did. I was told about the law a year in advance and had that time to get to know her. But Lady Tea is not cut from the same cloth as your mother, which was one of the reasons I waited to tell you. I was trying to find a way out of this situation," he explained to his slightly furious son.

Atem's eyes softened. "But you didn't, except for the fact that, if I found someone else of suitable heritage, standing, and skill, she would be chosen as my partner instead. As it is," he mumbled, "I only have my love for a simple librarian against the power of the House of Life and all its prestigious bloodlines." He sighed. "What is Tea-"

A sound from the hallway startled both of them. Atem raced to the door and swept the curtain obscuring their room out of the way. But there was no one in the hallway but the guard, standing stock still. "Is there a problem, my prince?" the man asked.

"No it's nothing," Atem assured him. He took another look around the hallway and, seeing nothing, went back inside to talk with his father.

But just around the corner, a certain brunette tried to calm her racing heart. _He loves me,_ she thought. _Now I know I can save him._

 **Honestly, I'm probably just going to write the last chapter and end this without writing any more romance. I'm tired of this story, and I have something that is SO much more fun waiting in the wings. I decided to fling Star Wars III out the window and write my own version, where Anakin finds a way to prevent the "childbirth" part of his vision and still keep both his wife and kids intact. Hint, take a look at my community.**

 **Oh, and for those Harry Potter fans who happened to stumble in here, or those Naruto fans, or Hobbit fans, I've taken some of those Fanfictions, like Backslide and The Marriage Stone, and posted them on youtube as audiobooks. I've got links to all of them in my profile, if you wish to check them out. Good Day!**


	14. On the Roof

Aziza's rooms as the Keeper of the Scrolls were small and modest, very close to the great hall where she worked surrounded by shelves. With a bedchamber, a small entryway that doubled as a living room and a door leading to a bathing hall for lesser officials like the stable master and herself, it was just a little more than necessary, which suited her just fine. It even had a little spot for prayer to the gods, which was filled with a large assortment of items related to Ra or Isis.

Atem walked over to the small table and picked up a statue of Ra in his phoenix form. As the future pharaoh, he had to be familiar with all the god's forms, but this was by far the form that frightened him the most. He'd never seen the actual god, for there was thankfully peace in Egypt, but he had seen paintings and the like. He put the statue down and ran his hand over a flat carving of the two gods together. It was different than the usual stoic posture. They were turned sideways with a piece of furniture between them. Bending closer to the rough piece of art, he thought he recognized it as a cradle. But what was-

"Prince Atem?" He whipped around and the sound of Aziza's voice and smiled. She smiled back and bowed slightly. "To what do I owe this honor?"

His nerves returned with a vengeance and he fought to keep his voice steady. "The sky is very clear tonight, and almost everyone is asleep. I was hoping you might join me on the roof to look at the stars for a while." Resisting the urge to look at his sandaled feet, he looked at her instead.

He'd met Tea yesterday, had been all but forced to spend most of the day with her, in fact. He'd found her pretty and intelligent enough, but not especially passionate about things. The only time she'd gotten truly excited all day was when he'd showed her the royal baths. _At least she's pretty,_ he'd thought to himself at the time, but now, looking at Aziza even that paled. Both had brown hair, but Aziza's was shot through with streaks of gold, and much lighter and with no perfumes making him dizzy. Aziza's form was lean like Tea's, but also stronger, the body of someone who could race chariots with him and go into battle with him. And her eyes, her beautiful purple eyes, flared with the passion Tea's lacked utterly.

Now they sparkled with a sly sort of happiness, and something else he couldn't quite put his finger on. "I'd like that," she answered finally, letting him relax. "Just let me put something warmer around my shoulders. The nights are getting colder." She rifled through the small trunk on the floor and pulled out a shoulder wrap of slightly thicker linen. He didn't recognize it as part of her uniform as librarian, so it must have been something she'd brought from home. She quickly wrapped it around her shoulders and turned back to him. "I'm ready," she said with a smile. He realized he was staring and quickly walked out the door, hoping she would follow.

The roof of the palace was flat, as were most houses in Egypt. But the difference was that, in the middle of the roof was a trapdoor that led down a flight of stairs into the highest level of the palace. During times of war or unrest, two guards were stationed at the door to ensure no assassin crept into the palace through that entrance. These guards saluted Atem when he came up through the door with Aziza following behind. "You can relax," he told them. "We'll just be over there for a while." He gestured towards where he'd set up a blanket earlier, in case it got colder.

Aziza noticed this detail and grinned with a touch of mischief. "Only one blanket, my prince?" Atem blushed when he realized his mistake, but the mischief faded from her smile and she took his hand. "It's alright, my prince. Shall we lie down? We can look straight up that way and not hurt our necks."

"Please call me Atem. And yes, that's a good idea." Hearing her use his title left a sour taste in his mouth, especially after being called that all day by Tea. And probably for the rest of his life. But he shoved that away from his thoughts and squeezed her hand gently. They sat down and looked at the night sky.

For a while, they just looked up at the dark expanse ornamented with the brightest of beauties. "Look," Aziza said, pointing at one cluster of stars. "That one's flickering, like it's running out of oil."

 _Like I'm running out of time,_ Atem thought, and braced himself to say what he needed to. "Aziza, I-" He choked on the words but forced them out anyway. "I have to pick my future wife tomorrow." She stilled beside him. He hurried on, trying not to look beyond her profile, barely visible in the darkness. "The law is making me marry Lady Tea from the House of Life. But I…I want you to know that if I could choose, I'd pick you." He closed his eyes, waiting for her furious disbelieving reaction.

She kissed him.

His eyes flew open as her warm mouth left his. He could see nothing but the shape of her head against the night sky, but when she kissed him again he could feel the smile on her lips. Then she sat up and said, "I'm glad. Because I would have picked you too." He sat up and looked at her outline against the stars.

"Do you love me then," he asked, cautiously. He almost didn't know what he wanted her to say. If she said no, that meant his love had always been hopeless, and would have been even if their standing had not kept them apart. But it would also mean he wasn't worthy of her love, despite everything they had shared in the time since she brought Yugi back, all the laughter, wonderful hours in the library, griping about their siblings' romance.

But was it even crueler if she did love him? The impossible possibility that they might have been together, had things only been the smallest bit different? If he had been the younger son, or even just a noble, or even a peasant, they would have been able to, to love without an entire kingdom of disapproval.

"Yes," she said, kissing him on the forehead. "But I don't want you to give up just yet. No one knows what might happen tomorrow." And he wanted to believe her.

 **I have now finished this story and just need to upload the last couple chapters.**

 **The next chapter contains the image that spawned the whole story. I actually read a different story that had some similarities, and wondered what it would look like if I did it. After that, there was this one scene I couldn't get out of my head, so I finally wrote the story for it, and will upload that scene soon.**

 **Please Enjoy!**


	15. Divine Intervention

The court was more crowded than usual the next day. Well, it always was on his birthday, but it was even more so today. Because Crown Prince Atem turned eighteen today, and the news of the impending marriage announcement had made the gossip rounds quite quickly after one of the serving maids had cleaned up the scroll detailing the matter from the Pharaoh's chamber. As a result, every nobleman's daughter, and a few who were not, crowded as close as they dared to where the prince in question stood.

Shimon came to the front of the throne once the more everyday matters had been handled and announced gravely, "My Lord Pharaoh, it is the eighteenth birthday of Prince Atem, and as declared by the law, he must either present a bride of noble blood or higher, or take the Lady Tea as his queen." He smiled sadly at the prince, who looked like he would happily throw himself to the crocodiles. This was the last thing he wanted to do to the boy, but they had no choice. "May the Prince present his intended now, if he has one." He looked over at the boy, hoping against hope. But Atem shook his head, every line of his body stiff. Yami was the same on the other side of his father's throne, and the pharaoh himself sagged in the magnificent chair. None of them wanted to be here.

But the nobles seemed not to notice. Many leaned forward, eager to see if the prince would choose one of the rabble competing for his attention. Whispers arose. "Is he going to choose?" "I think that's Tea, over there." "Just get on with it already!" one voice, slightly louder than the rest, demanded.

Shimon stepped forward, silencing the crowd. He glared at all of them, and then turned to Prince Atem. "My lord, is there no one you wish to bring forth?" The prince shook his head, finally looking up, his face devoid of emotion. "Then I pronounce Lady Tea-"

"Wait!" A voice from the back of the crowd called as someone elbowed their way to the front of the room. "I present myself as Crown Prince Atem's chosen betrothed."

It was Aziza.

The throne room erupted in outrage. Nobles shouted in indignation, other girls screamed at her to stop trying to ensnare Atem, the prince himself called out to her, asking what she was doing. "Silence!" the pharaoh shouted over all the chaos and the room quieted quickly. Then, in a softer tone, he said, "What do these claims stem from, Librarian? A prince's wife must be of noble birth. Even if there was an understanding between you and my son, it would not be possible."

Many of the nobles smirked at those words, but the expressions of triumph faded when Aziza spoke again. "You are right, My Lord, that I am not of noble blood. I am of the divine!"

The whole room was suddenly flooded with light as sunlight powerful enough that everyone present had to avert their eyes streamed into the room through the skylight. When the light dimmed, two more figures stood in the middle of the throne room. The one on Aziza's right was a tall man, clothed in golden robes that trailed a bit on the ground behind him, with his hair and short, full beard shot through with gold, just like Aziza's. But his crown made many gasp. The Winged Dragon of Ra was perched atop the man's head, wings settled across his brow, sitting tall and noble.

The woman on her other side was arrayed also in gold, although hers was ornamented with beautiful purple fabrics, and her jewelry was set with the same purple stones. When she looked at the pharaoh he realized that the gems matched the woman's eyes, exactly the same color as Aziza's. Her long hair was a solid black, but ornamented with sparrow feathers entwined with the gold chains of her headdress. Then she took a step forward. "Ahknamkanen, you are a good and wise ruler, and your sons are noble in their own right. To reward you for this, I, Isis, mother of the throne, and Ra, the sun and ruler of the gods, have decided to give you a gift." She grabbed one of Aziza's hands as Ra slung an arm around her waist. "We offer your firstborn, Atem, the hand of Aziza, our beloved daughter, in marriage, as we offered Yugi to your other son."

"But this is impossible," an indignant voice from the crowd of nobles spluttered. "You cannot be gods! Prove it!"

Rolling her eyes, which shocked quite a few people, Isis reached out with one hand, raised the even more indignant noble about three feet above the heads of his peers, and then promptly tossed him through the open entrance of the throne room. Then, as if she hadn't just performed a godly feat, she turned back to the pharaoh and asked, "Will you accept our gift?"

Then, to the astonishment of everyone else in the room, Aziza shrugged off her parents, the gods, which by itself was still mind blowing in the extreme, and said. "Atem, this means you can pick me. Will you pick me?"

Atem closed his slightly gaping mouth and bowed deeply to the gods in the room. "I would be honored to accept your daughter's hand in marriage, Your Divine Majesties."

"Well, at least he has good manners," Ra mumbled to his wife, low enough so that no one else heard. "We will speak privately with you now, Royals of Egypt." He flicked his hand, and the nobles, girls, court attendants, servants, slaves, and even a cat that had wandered into the throne room promptly flew out the entrance. The door shut behind him and the royal family was left with Aziza, Yugi, and the two gods. Then Ra relaxed, and smiled at Aziza.

Grinning right back, the girl pelted forward and threw her arms around Atem. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He squeezed back, very confused. Gods? Aziza was divine? But she was just Aziza, she didn't have powers, she taught children and looked after Yugi. How could she be divine?

"I see you have questions, Atem," Ra said, in a kinder tone that surprised many in the room. Then both gods waved their hands and several simply designed chairs appeared in a circle. "Please, sit and we will explain as well as we can." The two girls sat with their parents, and that was still almost overwhelming, and the royal family rushed to join them, Ahknamkanen abandoning his throne and the two boys getting dragged into the circle of chairs by their respective sweethearts.

The Pharaoh was the first to speak. "I and my sons are honored by such gifts, but what prompted it?"

Isis laughed. "Well, we couldn't very well let a human law break our girl's heart, now could we? She talks to us every night, and she's told us a lot about you, Atem."

Atem remembered the small altar in the corner of her room and asked her, "Was that carving I saw last night of you and your parents?"

"Yes," she answered. "I was almost afraid you'd guess what it was. I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, you certainly achieved that," Ahknamkanen said, a smile playing around his mouth. "So Yugi and Aziza are your daughters, Lord and Lady?"

"No, good pharaoh," Ra replied. "Aziza is my daughter from Isis, yes, but Yugi was born of Hathor. Is that going to be a problem," he added, glaring threateningly as the room subtly heated up around them.

But the pharaoh was quick to dispel the tension. "Not at all, My Lord, I merely wondered. I am blessed to have both of them as a part of my household." He bowed his head deeply, and the respect seemed to appease the sun god, because he let the temperature in the room go back to normal.

Ra glanced over at his daughters, who fidgeted slightly in their seats next to the boys they loved. "Perhaps, good pharaoh, we might talk about this amongst ourselves, as parents, work out the details between the three of us. I sense our children would like to be elsewhere."

Aziza blushed at the implication, but still grinned at her father, who winked back at her. The pharaoh noticed the exchange and also smiled. "Yes, I think that would be best as well. Atem, Yami, why don't you take the ladies out to the roof?"

That was just the signal the girls needed to grab the hands of their princes and tug the out of the room, both still slightly stunned.

 **Finally we get to it. I've been leaving hints about this all over the story, so it shouldn't have caught you completely off guard. Did anyone guess what I was doing? Personally, this and the Ka scenes are my favorite parts of the story, and were definintely the most fun to write. How did you guys like it? Please Review!**

 **I have a question for you all. You know that part of YuGiOh where the Domino gang gets to go back and relive some of Atem's past? I really want to do at least a little of that with my world. How would Atem react to being a father and husband? What with Joey and Tea do when they find out Egypt has doubles of them too? Will Yugi get teased about being a girl?**

 **Tell me if you want to find out!**


	16. So Let It Be Done

"You're a goddess?" Aziza and Yugi both tried to hold it in, but Yami's slack-jawed words broke the dam and they both started laughing so hard they couldn't stay upright enough to climb the stairs to the roof. Yami realized his mouth was open, snapped it shut with an audible clack, and crossed his arms, glowering at the two girls. "What's so funny? It's a valid question!"

Aziza finally took pity on him and shoved her mirth deep, deep down. She explained, "No, we're not goddesses. We're just regular girls with a little something extra. For example, when Isis, the priestess, not my mother, tried to find Yugi with the necklace after she left, I shielded her from Isis's sight. But mostly it's just that be both have very strong Ba. You saw mine." She waved toward Yugi. "Yugi's is-"

"Wait, can I show them?" Yugi asked.

Aziza nodded, but then cautioned, "We might want to get out to the roof first. It's kind of narrow here." Yugi nodded vehemently, making the boys very curious as to just what her Ba was. They walked out onto the large, flat roof, nodded to the two guards, and stopped at the center of the roof. Aziza grabbed both of the princes. "You might want to take a few steps back." Warily, they retreated and watched as, just like with her sister, a fine mist rose from Yugi. But in her case, the mist did not simply float up and form a woman. Yugi's mist surged forward and, like a bird bursting from a cloud, something large erupted from the cloud of mist and stopped in front of the girl.

From their place to the right, Aziza and the boys got a very good look at the tall, proud griffin standing poised in front of them. Yugi smiled and started to explain, "Two of my mother's sacred animals are the lion and the falcon. My Ba ended up being a combination of the two, like Aziza's has sparrow wings for her mother."

Yami ran over to get a closer look at the great beast, leaving Atem and Aziza alone. The prince hugged her around the shoulder. "I don't know if I ever told you, but I thought your Ba was beautiful the first time I saw it."

She blushed but turned toward him and hugged him back. She asked, "Do you know what your Ba looks like?"

"No," he answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Most people don't find out unless they're tried by the court. And those Ba aren't very pretty. Not like yours." He leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

"Atem…" She paused and he let go of her so he could see her face. "You're not upset that I didn't tell you, right? About my parents?"

He thought about that for a minute. "I do wish you'd told me sooner, so I didn't have to almost marry Tea. She's a nice girl, but not you." She giggled quietly, the blush returning. "But I'm not angry, I'm just very happy I get to keep you in my life." She leaned up and kissed him on the mouth again. He smiled against her lips and reveled in the peace on the rooftop, the happy chatter of his smitten brother, and the woman who he could keep by his side and in his life for as long as it lasted.

* * *

Six months of insanely busy planning later, the two couples married in a joint wedding where gods and royalty met to celebrate the union. That day became known as the day the sun and sky bent to touch the land and bathe all of Egypt in their glory. Ra gave away both brides with Isis and Hathor crying in the wings, each giving a personal blessing to both happy couples. To Yami and Yugi, they promised many children, strong love, and infinite affection in good and bad times. To Atem and Aziza, they wished for a long life and successful rule, wisdom and compassion when dealing with the kingdom, and strong love to withstand anything and everything. Ahknamkanen officiated the ceremony, as the pharaoh, though he gratefully stepped out of that role after the ceremony to welcome the two girls into his home as his daughters.

They had a few blissful years together, during which Yugi and Yami had two boys, Ahmed and Taavi, and a little girl named Oma. Aziza was very newly pregnant when Ahknamkanen fell ill. And a certain thief showed up at the coronation…

Well, you know the rest of the story.


	17. Epilogue: Recovery from Discovery

They all got up from the floor, their heads spinning a bit from their trek through the past. Tea glanced around at all her friends and sighed in relief. "I guess we're all back. Is the pharaoh, I mean Atem alright?"

Yugi dove into the puzzle for a moment but quickly came back out. His face crinkled with worry. "He's there. I think he's alright, but he's very upset for some reason. I think he feels guilty about Aziza. I mean, we were all surprised by that, even him. It would be hard for any of us to deal with something like that," he explained.

"Yeah," Joey admitted. "I mean, he had a whole family he didn't know about. That's gotta be tough for him." Then his face turned mischievous. Joey got Yugi in a headlock and started messing up his hair. "Yugi was a girl, Yugi was a girl," he sang with a silly grin.

Yugi squirmed in his hold. "Cut it out Joey."

Then to the smaller boy's horror, Tristan joined in. "You know, you were pretty cute as a girl, and your looks haven't changed that much." He crouched down in front of the still restrained King of Games. "You sure you're not hiding something from us?"

He wiggled out of the headlock and scowled at the two other boys. "Guys, that's not funny."

"Indeed, it is not," Ishizu said from behind them. "Yugi's similarity to the Pharaoh's sister-in-law comes from his lineage. He is one of the last direct descendants of Oma, the youngest of Yugi's and Yami's children. That is one of the reasons he was chosen to help the Pharaoh through his journey to peace. In fact," she added as she looked over the assortment of friends, "several of you share blood with your counterparts in the past, though much less directly. However, that blood was not divine, so none of you would have been able to break the Pharaoh's imprisonment."

Joey's face screwed up. "You mean that guard was my ancestor?" Ishizu nodded. "That's freaky. Still," he added shrugging, "it could have been worse. I could have been descended from a priestess reject," he finished, glancing slyly at Tea.

The girl glowered back at him. "Don't you start on me, Joey. I am nothing like that girl."

"Ancestor got rejected, you got rejected, anyone else noticing a patOW!"

Pulling the errant blond by the ear, Tea shouted, "We're leaving." Tristan opened his mouth. "NOW!" he shut it again and meekly followed behind. He didn't really feel like getting his ear pulled that day.

Once Ishizu and Marik finished explaining what needed to happen next, with the pharaoh's final duel, and they were all driving back to their hotel, Yugi dove inside the puzzle and knocked on the door to the Pharaoh's soul room. "Atem," he asked.

"Come in." He pushed the door open but wasn't greeted by the usual labyrinth. It was Atem's bedroom from the palace, full of natural light from the wide window overlooking the Nile. Hieroglyphs covered the walls, and Yugi had a feeling they told Atem's story. The man himself was seated on the large bed, staring at something in his hands. The younger boy walked over and sat beside him, looking at the small sun pendent in his friend's fingers. "How could I have forgotten her, Yugi?" the man whispered. "She was my love, my strength. And yet, I couldn't remember her. I didn't even remember that I was married, that I was going to be a father. How could I forget them like that?"

Yugi put an arm around the older man's shoulders and noticed for the first time that he wasn't wearing Yugi's clothes. His friend was dressed in the Egyptian finery they'd seen in the memories, except for his crown. "Atem, you didn't remember anything when you first woke up, not even your name or where you came from. You didn't forget anything, your memories were taken from you. So anything you forgot is not your fault. I think your wife would have understood."

"Aziza, her name was Aziza." Then his shoulders relaxed and he looked Yugi in the face again. "You sounded just like Yugi, the one who was my brother's wife. She was always the kind one amongst the four of us." Yugi smiled. At least Atem wasn't teasing him about his past self being a girl. "But enough of that," Atem said as he stood up. "You need to make your deck for the next duel, as do I. Go and prepare." So Yugi walked out, but when he glanced back at his closest friend, he saw the pharaoh tie the simple necklace around his neck and tuck the pendent under his gold collar.

The next day, when they finally got to the shrine, Yugi set all the millennium items back into the stone tablet. The eye on the door in front of him lit up. Joey, Duke, and the rest watched as Yugi seemed to separate into two people, one the kid they'd known for years, one the pharaoh some felt they'd only just met. "Now that the two souls have separated, the duel can-" But Ishizu stuttered to a halt when the doors were pushed open.

"Is that supposed ta happen?" Joey asked.

"No," Ishizu whispered. "I've never…there wasn't anything about this in the texts!"Atem and Yugi watched in fascination as the doors opened just wide enough for a figure to slip in between them, turned away from the crowd. Once the person was through, the doors crashed shut with a bang.

The pharaoh studied the figure. Brown hair shot through with gold, dressed in simple linen…could it be? The figure turned around and those who had taken the trip through time gasped. Those violet eyes and golden sun pendant could not be mistaken. Then the figure took off running and with a joyful shout of "Atem!" she crashed into the Pharaoh, kissing him so soundly it made several of the teens blush and Yugi's grandpa reach over and cover Mokuba's eyes.

When she finally came up for air, Atem pulled away, a fine tremor running through him. "Aziza?"

 **Yay! I finally returned to this story! It ended up beoing more serious than I wanted, but I did get some funny bits in.**

 **Here's the thing. I'll write the second part of the epilogue, with Aziza meeting the modern counterparts of the people she knew in Egypt, if there's enough interest. So tell your friends, spread the word! Review!**


	18. Aziza Meets the Gang

She grinned at him. "Well, who did you think it was," she laughed and kissed him on the cheek. "Great Ra, Atem, you have no idea how long I've been waiting for this!" She squeezed him tight again and then her grip abruptly loosened. She took a step back and Atem looked at her. Purple eyes were fixed on the crowd of people behind him.

"Aziza," the pharaoh started, trying to reach out and stop her, but his wife was too quick for him. And so he watched with a faint smile as Yugi was hoisted into the air and spun around by a jubilant Aziza.

"I can't believe it, her kids survived!" Aziza said once she set Yugi down and hugged him again. "Ra, you look just like her." Then her arms let go and she stood back, inspecting him. "Let me guess, you're the one who pulls everyone together and makes them like each other, even though they're really different."

The shorter boy blinked up at her. "Um, yes, I guess. But how did you know?"

"That is exactly what my sister was like. One could say it was a family trait from Hathor." Yugi still looked confused, but she smiled at him. "Thank you for taking care of my husband, grandnephew." That last word had been completely unexpected and flooded Yugi with a strength and warmth all the way down to his toes.

"Hey, miss? If you could leggo of mah friend, that'd be great."

Aziza stiffened and said with barely contained laughter, "Don't tell me. You managed to find the descendant of Joey."

Now Atem was smiling too. "And Duke, Tea, Shimon, and Set."

She whipped around and stared at him before turning back to the crowd of people. "You're kidding." She looked closer. "No you're not. Gods, Atem, how did you manage that?"

Joey was not pleased with the implications. "Hey, I knew Yug before da pharaoh ever showed up. He didn't find me, he just happened to have the pleasure of knowin' me."

To his surprise that just made Aziza double over in laughter. "Oh gods, he's exactly like him! And Duke too, it looks like." Then she paused. "Wait, you said Tea too." Her eyes scanned the group and pinned the taller brunette in place. Tea squirmed slightly under the intense gaze as the queen walked towards her and began to circle her. Several of the others, including the Ishtars, held their breath. It hit Joey and Tristen then that this woman might not be a duelist, but that didn't mean she couldn't hurt them. She was a god's daughter, after all. Finally, Aziza stopped so she faced Tea and looked up into her eyes, querying. "You had a crush on my husband, didn't you?"

Tea turned pink and frantically shook her head. "No, not at all. I mean, in the beginning, before I really knew him, I may have, sort of, but I like Yugi now and-" she clapped a hand over her mouth when she realized what she'd just said and her blush deepened. Yugi also started blushing, but not nearly as red.

Aziza cocked her head, nodded briskly, and said, "Well, you'll have a better chance with him anyway. I wish you luck. But if you're as self-absorbed as the girl I knew…"

"She's not," Yugi interjected. "Tea's pulled us together many times, since the very beginning."

Atem also nodded. "Indeed. She is a far better person than the priestess you saved me from. I call her a friend."

Then Seto decided he'd had enough of this nonsense and asked, "Who are you? I suppose you're another believer in this whole hocus pocus. "Ever the sceptic, Seth."

The taller boy scowled harder. "My name is Seto Kaiba."

The young queen narrowly avoided rolling her eyes. "Seto, then. And yes, I do believe in it, seeing as I just stepped out of the afterlife to ensure my husband knows that should he win this duel, his son will be very disappointed." Despite Atem looking like he'd just been punched in the gut by Celtic Guardian, Aziza turned to Yugi. "Please defeat him, grandnephew. I've waited long enough to have him back." Then she kissed a still stunned Atem, and slipped back through the doors with a Mona Lisa smile leaving the group of friends somewhat stunned and one dead pharaoh happily reeling slightly from the knowledge that he had not just his queen, but his son waiting for him.

 _Atem has someone amazing waiting for him, even after five thousand years,_ Yugi realized. That knowledge solidified something inside him that he hadn't realized was wavering. _I had him with me for a long time, and he's made me a better person. But it's time for him to be with the ones who really love him._ He activated his duel disk and stepped up onto the platform. _I will beat him!_

 **There you have it, the end of my epilogue. I had the first half of this written for a long time, and finally finished it for all of you. This story is now officially completed.**


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